One of Dundee’s oldest organisations has united with one of the city’s few remaining jute stowers thanks to The Courier.
A recent article (link) revealing a newly-discovered video (shown below) of local jute stowers immediately caught the attention of Ron Scrimgeour, deacon of the Dundee Weavers.
He was keen to meet Chic Mitchell (69), the Lochee man who stepped forward with the footage and who is himself a former stower.
He set about tracking him down on Wednesday night Mr Mitchell took his seat as an invited guest at a weavers supper in the Verdant Works.
The organisation, which celebrates its 500th anniversary this year and is part of the Nine Trades of Dundee, wanted to recognise the back-breaking work carried out by Mr Mitchell and his colleagues in an industry forever linked with the city.
Mr Scrimgeour grew up in Dundee not far from the Victoria Spinning Company’s warehouse off Brook Street. He compared the men who worked there to superheroes.
”They were able to move these quarter-ton bales with seeming ease,” he said.
Mr Scrimgeour praised the event, saying: ”That was our first meeting in our 500th year and I was delighted with the attendance and the representation from the other trades.
”I was particularly delighted to welcome Chic Harper, who very modestly attributed his involvement to his friends. And we look forward to building our relationship with Chic and other jute workers.”
Mr Mitchell claims he and his former colleagues were the busiest stowers in the city.
He said: ”Since The Courier article came out I have been contacted by people from all over the world. I just can’t believe how much interest this has generated it is way beyond what I thought.
”I decided to do something with the footage for my best pal, Matt McVicar, who worked with me at the warehouse. He died around 18 months ago, but I know he would get a kick out of the footage and all the fuss it has caused.
”The response I have had from families of stowers has just been incredible and totally unexpected.”